Evidence

The topic I chose to focus on this week was evidence. Evidence is something I think is very important, especially in persuasive and informative speeches; it is also something I seem to fail to incorporate fully into my speeches. I do the research making sure to find the most currant and relevant information from credible sources and try to use a variety of  diverse sources. I may have five or six sources, but once I start speaking I'm lucky if I verbally site one or two of them. I think I get caught up trying to deliver all of the information and forget just how important evidence is to the audience in supporting my claims. With out siting my sources, the audience has to take my word for it. If I use my evidence properly I will appear more credible and have a more successful speech. This is something I intend to really work on for my persuasive speech.

Speech Buddies - Homeschool

The speech buddy videos this week were helpful to identifying some successful ways of being persuasive and some not so successful methods. By paying attention to not only what is being said, but also how it is being said, I notice a difference in the impact it has on my as an audience member. Both Dixie and Robert seemed to be well informed. In my opinion Robert seemed a bit more credible than Dixie due to the methods he used. Some of the tactics Dixie used actually had an opposite effect. When Dixie was trying to prove her point by bashing public schools it turned me off some because you can't discredit all public schools in blanket statements like that  and not expect to alienate some people. Many people, such as my self, had great experiences with public school and turned out just fine. When trying to be persuasive it is important not to bash the other side, but to focus on why your opinions are valid and a better choice.

Reflection

Reflecting on a recent discussion I have had in which I tried to persuade my teenage son that it is unsafe for him to be driving around at night. I used example reasoning along with statistics to try to prove my point logically. I used a presentation media to support my point of view in the form of a state farm video that had stories from other teens regarding he dangers of driving at night, with friends, speeding etc. One of the main points was that teens are far more likely to have fatal accidents at night and when other friends are riding along. I think the examples and real life stories had a deeper impact on both his logical and emotional reasoning than if I were just nagging him as Moms tend to do. Over all I think my persuasive conversation was successful. Although I can't expect that he wont be out driving at night, my point was to make him aware so he will be more cautious of not only his driving but others as well. He also understands why I want him in before the bars and clubs close when people are more likely to be out drinking and driving or riding with friends that might cause distractions.

Understanding How to Reach Your Audience Effectively

Of the five common audience types discussed in this weeks reading, I think a negative or a divided audience would be the most difficult to deliver a successful persuasive speech to. With a negative audience a speaker would need to be extremely prepared, having done their research in depth on both sides of the issue. In order for a negative audience to even hear what they speaker has to say, he or she would need to establish credibility and find common ground quickly. If a negative audience does not view the speaker as being credible, they will not only not listen, but it will reinforce their position on the opposing side of the issue. In addition to being credible, the best way to get someone who opposes your position to be open enough to be persuaded is to find a common ground and build on it. With a divided audience, both of these points are still a must, however you have to be more aware and careful not to alienate either side.

Monroe's Motivated Sequence and the Problem/Solution organizational pattern

Monroe's Motivated Sequence was designed by Purdue University Professor, Alan Monroe. The sequence consists of five steps designed to use the psychology of persuasion to develop a persuasive speech. Step one: get attention; this step is part of your introduction. It can be a joke, story, or other attention getter to grab the attention of your audience. Step two: establish the need; this can be done by showing the audience how an issue directly affects them. Step three: satisfy the need; this is where you introduce your solution to the issue. Step four: visualize the future; this is where the speaker paints a picture of what the outcome is by not taking action and how much better it is if they do. Step five: Action/actualization; this is the final part of the speech where you leave the audience with instructions of how they can make a difference. The problem/solution organizational pattern has less steps but is equally effective when presented correctly. With this speech pattern you present the problem to the audience by explaining it in detail and giving proof. Once the audience is convinced there is a problem the speaker can then offer the solution. It is important to be specific and show practicality so people leave knowing what they can do about it. I think this is the type of pattern I will use for my final speech topic. The issue I will be discussing will be more effective if addressed using the Problem/Solution organizational pattern.

Sea of Persuasion

I would have to say that I am immersed pretty deep in a sea of persuasion. From the moment I wake up my children are trying to persuade me about what they can wear to school, eat for breakfast, etc. When I start driving I see billboards along the road telling me I need something or to vote for someone. I turn on the radio to hear advertisements or talk radio trying to persuade me to see their view point on a subject. When I get to work I open my email and am swarmed with news emails, which are usually bias in some way. In my personal email I am constantly receiving emails with special savings today only! My customers are usually trying to persuade me to make arrangements on their account in some way. When I go home to relax, you guessed it tv commercials and bias news programs. It is hard to resist all persuasion that comes from people and media. To be a more critical consumer I weigh my options before making purchases. I make sure I am informed and not buying on impulse.

Personalize your language

I this weeks reading, the idea of personalizing your language to your audience really stuck with me. Personalizing your language is one of the five strategies in developing audience centered language for your speech. If I think about speaking to a group of young people, teenagers for example, I might use some slang terms to appear more credible to that particular audience. On the other hand, if I am speaking speaking at a professional function or to an older audience, it would be better to avoid slang as these types of audiences might take it as unprofessional or uneducated. The concept of personalizing your language is crucial to a successful speech. Instead of following blanket rules such as no slang or acronyms, I think you should first consider your audience. To one audience certain verbiage might be offensive but an audience of a different age group, or gender, or culture might appreciate it.

Speech Buddies 10 & 12

By watching the speech buddy videos I learned more about the importance of proper speech while giving a speech. When speaking to an audience, one needs to not only be conscious of what they are saying, but also how they are saying it. If you make a statement using slang, you might not sound as credible as you would using correct terminology. If you make a statement using correct terminology but you have several uhms in between words, or do not make eye contact, or are fidgeting, you may not appear as credible as if you deliver the words with confidence. Speech and language can be tricky, especially when talking to a mixed group of people. Generation gaps could completely change the meaning of a word or phrase. What I think will be the most helpful in my speech is trying to refrain from using uhm when ever possible and remembering to use correct terminology so I sound more professional and less like a casual conversation.

Sexist Language

After reading the flicker post, I have to say I agree with some of the points and disagree with others. I like the response of Dancing Deer Photography. I am not sensitive to the use of girl versus woman, etc. I don't think it is demeaning to refer to a woman as a girl or man as a boy unless you are using it in the context where you are insinuating they are behaving as a child. I have many friends that might say hey girl, girlie, chic, lady, etc. It really makes no difference to me. While that is my opinion, it obviously matters to some people, eye eye eye for example. When speaking to an audience it is important to know who you are speaking to and try to refrain from using any words that may come across sexist or offensive in any way. Because we live in such a diverse country, it can be challenging to know the correct terms in an ever changing politically correct society. I can't help but think of the movie Bullworth when discussing this topic. While he may have alienated some of his supporters with his use of slang and sexist remarks, he gained a whole new fan base. I think when all is said and done, if you know your audience and know your topic, you should be ok.

Self Evaluation 2

In the informative speech I feel like I achieved the purpose of my speech, which was to inform the audience of the destruction of coral reefs and what is being done about it. I felt more comfortable and confident during this speech, however I tend to get caught up discussing the issue and forget to site all of the sources I used. I was happy that I was able to stay on time during this speech. If I had it to do over again, I would bring a pointer so I wouldn't have to turn and point at the power point. I might also have tried to play with the powerpoint a little more and figure out how to have the pictures pop in one at a time, that way I wouldn't have to point either. Although it is technically  delivery issue, it goes into the preparation and organization of the speech as well. The one goal I have for improving the content in my next speech is to make better use of my sources. By incorporating the sources into my presentation more it will give more credibility to my topic. The one goal I have for my delivery next speech is to make better eye contact with the audience by turning around and pointing at my powerpoint presentation less. I think I can easily make this adjustment by purchasing a pointer or clicker to use with my presentation media. The thing that was specifically different this speech from my last speech was my timing. I split up my time among my main points so as to stay on time and have better flow overall. I think that was a good approach for me. The bad thing that was different this time was tuning away from the audience as I was trying to fully incorporate my slide show, which ended up detracting a bit from my delivery. I felt like I had a better connection to the audience in the las speech, however I felt like my content was better in this speech. Turning away from the audience, even though it was to point at specific photos that illustrated my point, was distracting. The improvement from my las speech as far as distractions go is I didn't fidget with my hands as much. I would rate my eye contact at about a 6. While I was facing the audience, I made good eye contact, however turning away from the audience to point at specific photos was not the best way to present the material. Overall I fell like I deserve a B on the informative speech. I did the research, put together what I think was a good powerpoint presentation, rehearsed, and stayed on time, however I verbally sited only two or three of my sources and I didn't have all the tools I should have had for my slide show. Overall I think this speech was more successful than my last speech. I think I am feeling more confident going in which helps tremendously.